Kayaks are water-borne recreational vehicles and are generally comprised of a covered deck situated on a hull and generally include one or more cockpits for seating the kayaker/paddler. Propulsion, aside from river or ocean currents, and maneuverability of the kayak are typically controlled by the kayaker through the use of a double bladed paddle. When seated within the cockpit, the kayaker's head and torso generally extend above the surface of the covered deck. In this manner, the kayaker's arms are free to swing the paddle as desired/required for propulsion or turning. However, by projecting above the deck, the kayaker's head and torso are exposed to the elements.
Exposure to the elements may lead to dangerous conditions for a kayaker. In particular, kayakers (especially inexperienced recreational kayakers) are exposed to the sun for extended periods of time, often without realization. Besides the prolonged exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays which may lead to skin conditions such as sunburn or even skin cancer, this extended sun exposure can lead to more immediate adverse health effects such as dehydration, sunstroke/heatstroke or even more severe instances of hyperthermia.
To alleviate kayaker exposure to the sun, canopy devices have been designed and implemented. However, a number of these designs necessitate rigidly securing a canopy frame to the body of the kayak with a cloth covering subsequently secured to that frame. While these designs satisfactorily provide shade, these devices also generate a number of significant drawbacks. First, the rigid frame is generally time-consuming to assemble and mount to the kayak deck (and similarly time-consuming to dismount and disassemble after use). These frames also generally require the use of tools and other hardware for proper mounting and structural support. Second, these frames tend to be bulky and disrupt the weight and balance of the kayak such that the kayak is unable to perform as efficiently or as safely as originally provided by the kayak's designer. Third, the canopy cover material often used to provide the desired shade further upsets the kayak's balance by acting as a sail. Fourth, once installed on a kayak, these designs stay employed even if weather conditions change during the course of an outing. Lastly, the current systems are kayak model specific thereby requiring a retailer to stock a large number of canopy devices so as to ensure product availability.
As such, there is a need for a kayak canopy which is selectively expandable or collapsible while also being quickly and easily mounted to/dismounted from a kayak deck (preferably without requiring the use of tools), utilizes a cover material which does not act as a sail when deployed, and is of a universal design so as to enable adoption of the canopy across an array of kayak designs or manufacturers. The present invention addresses these and other needs.